Kindness.

I'll be honest: we don't live in the best area. Lots of Nextdoor posts about break-ins and gunshots. A very diverse neighborhood though, with lots of families. And such kind people - our next-door neighbors and the people that live behind us both gave gifts to my kids. They certainly didn't have to do that, and it's not like anyone around here has a lot of money - which makes it so much sweeter. (I'm sure they kind of pity us, but still. It's very kind.)

Merry Christmas!

You go, Dallas

We did the carriage ride to look at Christmas lights tonight (Beau literally screamed the entire time), and they started in the parking lot of Jasper's Uptown. As we were heading out, they were setting up a large inflatable movie screen and some tables with heaters. They were just starting things up when we returned, and we asked what movie they were showing: The Santa Clause! The guy said they are doing this every Thursday and Saturday through the holidays. Granted, there was no one there, but I like the thinking outside the box and keeping people safe and outside. Brava, Jasper's.

We're going to need a bigger boat.

I really need to start putting Santa gifts together. I don't think I will be able to get everything done on Christmas Eve. If only I had a spare room or garage or storage unit to build and hide this crap. Might just have to use my closet and say it's Under Construction for a week. Send thoughts and prayers.

Who has this kind of time

I bought this face scrub that says you are supposed to scrub it on your face for 2 minutes. 2 minutes?? Do you know how long 2 minutes is when you are washing your face? I get bored after about 15 seconds. So I'm sure my skin would look much better if I actually followed the directions, but seriously folks. My entire SHOWER takes about 2 minutes. 

A walking billboard

Georgie watches these weirdo videos on YouTube where people peel playdoh off of toys, and I guess they are from Toys Unlimited, because she randomly blurts that out every now and then. She also listens to Alexa so much that she has started peppering the phrase "on Amazon music" throughout the day. Girl should get paid for this.

Heavy.

On a whim I bought a new fire pit for the backyard. It was like $400, so more than I have spent on previous fire pits but less than the super fancy ones which are like $2000. It is made of stone and actually looks amazing with the location in the yard, but it arrived on a pallet and weighs 600 pounds. The guy wouldn't move it past the driveway, so we had this massive stone thing sitting there for a few days before I got our handyman to come over (with a friend) and put it together in its final resting place (too heavy to ever move again, obvi). We have already had a fire in it, and Georgie had her first s'more. So that's money well spent already!

A very Griswold Christmas

More Christmas light drama with the tree. Last night I came out into the den after giving the kids a bath and the tree was completely dark. No lights at all. WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL IS GOING ON. I guess one strand must be out, and we seem to have fixed it now, but seriously folks. At this point this tree may be lit on Christmas - with flames.

Million dollar idea?

Similar to the breathalyzer in cars, which you have to blow into to be able to drive, there should be some sort of lock on online shopping on phones in the middle of the night. I swear I buy stuff at 3am and then it arrives and it's like Christmas - no clue I bought that! Sheesh

I speak as an authority on the matter

I have watched enough Hallmark Christmas movies in my life (and may or may not fall asleep to them every night), and realize the allure is the following:

Snowy little town, best if named something like Mistletoe 

Cozy inn or enormous home, with Christmas trees and lights in every room

Single mom or single gal who works too much 

Sparks fly and a romance blooms within a week of Christmas

Et voila! Movie magic.

Thankful, emphasis on the "full"

Had a lovely Thanksgiving with my little fam, and although we missed seeing more people, it was a nice day. Watched the ENTIRE Macy's parade, took a walk with the kids, and cooked up a storm: homemade apple pie, my annual sweet potato/apple casserole, cranberry sauce with pineapples and a new cranberry sauce for the turkey. Even though the kids only ate rolls, it was delicious. And I think I have convinced my mom to do Chinese takeout for Christmas. No need to do all of this again for two people. Or our waistlines.

Parent says what

Watching Frosty with Georgie and all I can see is how inappropriately the kids are dressed for the winter weather. (Seriously they are in mini skirts and shorts)

It was bound to happen

Georgie's little friend at "school," Madison, apparently snagged the kiddie scissors off the teacher's desk and cut a nice swath of Georgie's hair. The teacher felt terrible, and at first I could hardly notice it. But it is fairly tragic now. Ah well - her hair never really looks all that great anyway. Bygones.

Cringe

Georgie has started asking people with thick accents if they speak English. Yikes. And ironically her teacher has a thick Mexican accent, so Georgie pronounces her classmates' names like her teacher does: MadiSOHN and IsAHC. Hilarious. And a little rude.

The pattern is full

Well, Beau turned one to great fanfare - the Top One party was fairly successful. What you didn't see: he has a nasty cold and basically screamed/cried all day, Georgie was in rare terrible two form and cried/screamed all day, and at one point I hid in the bathroom and cried. Almost called the whole Zoom call off, but we pulled it together (although due to a Georgie tantrum we had to cut the cake three minutes before my family logged on). So now I have two toddlers, and boy am I glad the nursing is done. Mama needs a cocktail.

Ho Ho No

Georgie is gung-ho about Christmas this year. She says Santa Claus is on his way every day. I am trying to teach her about acting nice/being kind/etc., and today she told me "mama, if I'm a good girl, Santa will bring me presents. If I'm bad, I will get cold rocks." Coal, cold,...….same diff.

O Christmas tree

Well, the tree is up. And if I had my way, presents would be wrapped and underneath it (but my mom said I have to wait until after Thanksgiving)...Georgie thinks it's all very magical. Every morning she wakes up and exclaims, "the Christmas tree is still here!" Bless it.

Smartypants

Yesterday, Georgie's little class was going over the alphabet (in Spanish, no less), and Georgie informed the teacher she forgot W. (Which she had. And Georgie even said the correct Spanish word for W.) I seriously have nothing left to teach her. 

I feel this is totally normal

I need a new rug for my closet, as mine has blood on it (don't ask), so I asked my mom the other day what color it should be. Like, should it match my bedroom colors? Bathroom, since it's attached? Or can I go rogue with like fuschia shag? She looked at me like I was from Mars and said no one would ever wonder about this. Humph.

(I ended up finding a fun new rug for the bedroom so will be moving the current one into the closet, for those keeping score.)

Mood

Chef Sarah

I have started getting Hello Fresh deliveries every week, and I'm really enjoying it! I'm doing it to help out my mom with the cooking, but it's also been great in helping me build my confidence in the kitchen (recent cornbread fire notwithstanding). Almost everything I have made I would make again, and my mom, a fairly critical cook, approved as well. And no salmonella so far!

Mood

I love you, Paul Rudd

One Day More

This election may just kill me. 

A. I truly do not understand how it could possibly be this close

2. The threat of violence is terrifying and insane

F. If Trump wins I am seriously moving to another country. (When they let us in)

Thank god Hallmark Channel is already airing Christmas movies. They soothe me.

En fuego

Last night I was on a work call around 5pm and my mom was feeding dinner to the kids. All of a sudden, I could hear the smoke alarm going off. Didn't think much of it, but then heard another one so I flipped off my webcam (I was on mute) and went to investigate. Poor Georgie was flipping out, and my mom didn't understand why the alarms were going off. I opened the oven, and the cornbread was on fire. Like legit ON FIRE. My mom said it would just burn off, but I checked it again and nope. So we got out the fire extinguisher and put that bad boy out. (Who knew what a HUGE mess that makes!! It looks post-apocalyptic in there!) My kid may be scarred for life (she is still talking about the "fire"), but at least the house didn't burn down. Sheesh.

A new record

I usually hold off on Christmas music until after Halloween (sorry, Thanksgiving), but Georgie is obsessed with Jingle Bells and plays it on repeat all day. So it's kind of like working retail over the holidays. Yay?

Yasss new neighbors

Our new next-door neighbors (who we have yet to meet) have a Biden sign in their yard. So that makes three Biden signs on our block and two Trump signs. I'll take those odds...

#8moredays

Get this kid a pet

Embarrassed to say we have something of a roach problem right now, and my mom found one this morning. She yelled, and Georgie came running - she wanted to see it. (Un)fortunately, my mom had already flushed it, but Georgie started crying to "let it out" because she wanted to keep it as a pet. Someone get this kid a goldfish, stat.

Howdy, folks

We did the drive-thru State Fair on Sunday, and I was really impressed. For $65, you got two corny dogs, two drinks, French fries, kettle corn, cotton candy, a fried oreo pie and a stuffed animal from the "midway" - plus a photo with a masked-up Big Tex. I would have preferred a funnel cake to the fried pie, but beggars can't be choosers. Georgie was a little scared of Big Tex, but really enjoyed the large pink teddy bear she got. I was thinking "wow - that's a pretty big stuffed animal to 'win'" - until I realized it was a $65 teddy bear. 

Still - glad they made it happen, and hopefully we can go back next year in person. Howdy folks!

Que paso en los pantalones

(That's a little fake game show we do when the kids need a diaper change)

But on a "serious" pants level, I have gotten so used to wearing pull-on pants with an elastic waist that wearing real jeans with a button and zipper was quite a shock. The struggle is real, people.

Seven-second delay. More like seven-DAY delay.

It took me four days to get through the first episode of the Bachelorette. Not because it was bad; because I just don't have time anymore. SAD! (I of course could watch in the mornings on the elliptical, but the news is somehow more juicy than a reality show - wonder why?!?!)

But I do love that Clare seems to have fallen in love at first sight, and he IS a looker. Plus I can't imagine all the 20-something guys are really there for her. They just want to get to go to Paradise. Covid be damned...

Yay grandparents!

My dad surprised all of us by driving down from Georgia for a few days. He hasn't seen the kids in person since December, so it has been really great. Georgie is obsessed with her "papa." 

(Also, every day after school I ask her how her day was and what she did. She always says, "I just sat there.") Alrighty then. Clearly money well spent.

That pandemic look

For the first time in 25 years, I have no toenail polish on my toes. (They are painted clear, technically, but you know what I mean.) And I ain't mad about it. Oh, Covid - how you've changed us all.

Little runner girl

I really don't enjoy running. I ran a marathon once like 20 years ago, and pretty much stopped after that. (why bother at that point) Which is why it's so funny that Georgie loves to run. Like asks to go running. We just ran around the block (she does stop to look at things; this time, Halloween decorations), but otherwise she keeps going, bless her little heart. Maybe it will get me back in shape.

13 minutes I'll never get back

13 minutes is all I could take of the debates last night. What a complete clusterfuck. So embarrassing and ridiculous. November 3 cannot come fast enough.

Mom of the Year

What other two year old knows to ask if her mom is "frustrated"???? She will say "mama, are you mad? sad? fwus-tu-wated?" And the other day after she peed in her pants again I told her I wasn't mad, but disappointed. So that should go over well in pre-K: my mom is disappointed. Sigh

Just (don't) Drew It

I watched about 10 minutes of the new Drew Barrymore talk show and just couldn't do it. I love her, but it was rough. Drew, you're better than this, girl! Although I get it - single mama's gotta do what a single mama's gotta do...

Harsh

Georgie always comments on my "lack" of eyelashes and eyebrows. (They are there, just blonde!) Like every day - "mom, you don't have eyelashes!" Then the other day she asked if everyone had eyebrows. I said yes, and she looked at me and said, "you don't..."

Dang. That hurts. Perhaps it's time to get the lash extensions back...

So punny

I write these weekly emails for the CEO to send out, and sometimes try to put funny titles on some of the blurbs. Luckily he thinks they are funny and usually keeps them in. The one I sent to him today I was particularly proud of - it was something about our business with a company called Sawtooth. So I called it "You Can't Handle the Tooth." Hahahahaha I crack myself up

She's not wrong.

Georgie calls the peephole the "peek" hole, and I'm on board.

RIP, RBG

Wow. I am just gutted about Justice Ginsburg's passing. (And not just because I will miss the Ginsburns on SNL) I am terrified for the future of this country (and looking into a move to Switzerland just in case), and for the future of my children. The Biden/Harris sign is officially on the lawn, so bring it, vandals. BRING IT. 

I mean, why not at this point

My mom is having surgery on her foot in a few weeks, and will be unable to walk for about 6 weeks (in a boot for 3 months). Which means no driving. Or carrying the baby. Or cleaning the house (hellooooo maid service!). Or cooking (helloooo DoorDash!). I am so glad she's doing this - she has been in pain every day for like 10 years - but this is going to be verrrrrry interesting. Mama might have to start drinking again.

Hello world

Went to a restaurant on Sunday for the first time since the pandemic began, and it was a bit overstimulating. I was there for a friend's birthday, and we were seated outside, but good LORD there were a lot of people there. The parking lot was full, not everyone was wearing masks, and it just made me realize that many of us are just out there, living life. Weird. I mean good for you I guess, but. Weird. Here's hoping I don't spread the virus to my family!

Couple of Georgie-isms for your Friday

She says "bootem" for bottom (I guess a combo of booty and bottom)

"Bikini" for zucchini

And her excuse for things is "I'm just a little girl. I don't know any better."

Ohhhh lord I am in trouble.

Spirited

Started reading "How to Raise a Spirited Child," and there's a little quiz in the book. Turns out Georgie is merely "spunky," not spirited, and I am somehow a "cool parent" - though at the very top of that one, borderline spunky. Well, duh.

One good thing to come out of 2020

Keeping up with the Kardashians is kancelled! Thank the lord.

(Oh also that mama orca who carried around her dead baby a few years ago had a healthy baby calf.)

But that's it. Otherwise this year blows.

"Labor" Day, indeed

Ended up having to work Friday when I intended to take the day off, and worked quite a bit over the weekend, including until 9pm on Labor Day. But we managed to squeeze in some fun as well - went for a family walk, finally got caught up on This is Us (good grief the Pearsons need a break!!), ran some errands, and realized why I don't do manual labor: I spent about 45 minutes trimming hedges in the front yard and wound up with like 5 blisters on my hands. Annnnnnd scene.

Guess he's a boob man

I have been attempting to start weaning Beau for a month now, and it ain't happening. He just loves it so much, I feel terrible taking it away! And he doesn't always even need to eat - it's like he's an addict who just needs a quick "bump" and then he's on his merry way. Men. Humph.

Right up there with 'never eat yellow snow'

Apparently you shouldn't eat blue cake cones, either. Unless you want blue poop. And yes, I know this from personal experience. (Well, from my toddler's personal experience.) It was a sight. I did take a photo because OH MY GOD IT'S BLUE but I will save you from that. Sheesh.

Driver's Ed

Georgie knows red means STOP and green means GO, and I told her yellow means "Maybe go?" So that's what she thinks when you say yellow light. Maybe go. Haha oopsie.

Ew

I hate tuna fish. Actually, I hate the smell of tuna fish. So much that I've never actually tried it. My mom loves it, however, and insists on making it every once in a while. She fed some to the baby yesterday for lunch (I couldn't do it), and last night at 11:30 when I was feeding him he had fish breath. It was like breastfeeding a cat. BOOOOOO

Woof.

Well, it was a wild weekend around here. On a whim I took Georgie to the SPCA and of course came home with a dog. A huge dog. A sweet, shedding, huge dog who was taking up even more space thanks to his cone of shame. Unfortunately, he was just too big for us. Scared Georgie, knocked over Beau, and was a little aggressive towards both of them. (Can't say I blame him, of course) So sadly I had to return him to the SPCA after about 36 hours. EPIC FAIL. I learned I probably need a smaller dog, and also that I do not currently have the bandwidth to handle another creature in this house. Might rethink things in like 5 years. Hopefully this guy is already safely in his forever home.

Mowgli

After 6 months of being home, my child no longer wants to wear shoes, dresses, or underpants. She barely lets me brush her hair. Apparently COVID has made my child into Mowgli from the Jungle Book. School next week should be interesting. 

Au naturel

Last Friday on a whim, I pulled out all of my fake eyelashes. I have been getting extensions for like 3 years, so seeing my natural lashes was both shocking and horrifying. However, after a few days and several coats of mascara, I don't mind the natural look. Especially considering I don't go anywhere - so what's the point of paying for lash extensions?? (I'm sure I will go back eventually, but going to enjoy the break!)

Can I phone a friend?

Georgie has started asking me questions that I can't answer (and probably should, which makes me feel even more stupid):

Why do bells ring?

Why do lions roar?

Why do people get in cars?

Let's talk about turtles/unicorns/giraffes/zebras.

I'm in big trouble.

Tiny movie mogul

Perhaps it's because I have given up altogether, but lately Georgie has become quite the movie watcher. She has seen at least 9 movies so far:

Frozen

Frozen 2

Trolls

Trolls 2

Madagascar 2

Cinderella

Princess and the Frog

Little Mermaid

Moana

Plus we have started several that we didn't finish. Winning, or absolutely losing, I don't know.

Negative, ghostrider - the pattern is full

Can't believe I am already planning Beau's first birthday - first, because 9 months has flown by, and second, because no one will be coming except the people that already live here...but whatever.

Going with a Top One theme, so I bought some baby aviator glasses and ordering fighter jet cookies, plus signs saying Welcome to the Danger Zone and I Feel the Need, the Need for Speed. Only question remaining: do I buy a sandbox and set up a beach volleyball situation...

Lightning doesn't strike twice

I think something on our house got struck by lightning last night - the garage door and sprinkler system don't work. Of course, you know you're in a pandemic when your garage door doesn't open and it doesn't really matter because you don't have anywhere to go anyway...

Love you USPS

This Post Office shit is CRAZY. I mean, seriously. Let people send their damn mail-in ballots! And get their medication! And letters from deployed men and women in the armed forces! Just say NO to dictatorship.

First kid vs second kid

Georgie had books read to her all the time, nursery rhymes and lullabies sung to her, plus classes like water babies and Gymboree. Poor Beau is lucky to gnaw on an old book with the cover ripped off, all he hears are songs from Frozen and Moana, and all the classes are cancelled due to COVID. Here's hoping he will be a resilient little dude...

Yasssss Kamala

I haven't felt this excited or hopeful about the country in 4 years.

Survival mode

Made it Friday-Sunday with the kiddos by myself, and no one had to get stitches or got food poisoning. We even made it to the zoo! I forced my mom go to Austin to see my brother and her other grandson, who she had not seen since February, and try to get some rest. (Of course when she got back I was like "bye" and went for a solo bike ride to relieve stress)

We may have watched several movies, had too much tablet time and ate things like chicken nuggets, but we all survived. And it felt good to be able to do that.

Aw

Georgie is so in need of playmates, today the tree guys came to trim some trees and G stood at the window waving at them, calling out "I love you! You are my precious friend!"

Bless it.

Disney +

Really loving Disney +. From Hamilton (which we finally finished this weekend, after starting it over the 4th of July - hellooooo, parenthood) to Frozen to old-school classics, it really is fun for all. I found a show called Encore produced by Kristen Bell where they bring back a high school musical cast to perform again, like 25 years later. Hilarious.

But if I had a complaint (which I always do), I would ask: bring back the 90s Mickey Mouse Club (Britney! Justin! Keri!) and the old Hayley Mills classics (Parent Trap! Pollyanna!). Y? Because we like you!

Crisis averted

I have been trying to post since Thursday - for a brief second I thought I had reached my blogging limit! (It HAS been 11 years, after all)

But we BACK guys. I'm sure all 5 of you who read this are thrilled. :)

I have been interested in getting another dog - because what's a little more chaos around here - and found a very sweet white lab mix up for adoption. She is 4, found on the streets, and unfortunately has heartworm. But is going through treatment, so Georgie and I met her yesterday at a dog park with her foster. She gave us some licks but it was hard to really play with her because of the distractions of other dogs and my fear of getting her heart rate elevated. Would like to see if she can come visit us at our house and meet the baby (and my mom, who is not on board with this idea at all) before we make a decision. Her name was Lily, is now Bailey, and we would call her Daisy. (Not that I'm getting attached, haha)

Stay tuned...

Desperate times, desperate measures

I happened to turn on ESPN this weekend and giggled to myself - an entire hour was devoted to the "best of" the This is Sportscenter commercials.Which are hilarious, don't get me wrong - but man they must be pulling at straws here. Considering the next hour was about the World's Ugliest Dog Competition. Bless.

Nope

Had a fleeting moment over the weekend where I thought maybe I should rejoin the online dating apps. And then tried to find a few decent recent photos of myself. Couldn't find anything. And so we wait. (obviously not ready and have no time right now anyway!)

Slime time

I showed Georgie a video on making one of those "surprise" cakes (she has a book about it), and she became obsessed with watching cake videos on YouTube. We also attempted to make one of those cakes, but that's a story for another time. Then last night we were looking at unicorn cake videos, which somehow morphed into slime mixing videos. Have y'all ever seen these? They are kind of addictive, but nothing happens except for a big pile of goo. So that's like 17 minutes of my life I will never get back.

A baby by any other name...

Seems like Beau knows his name, but I'm not sure how - we rarely call him that! He started out as "Baby Beau." Now it's "Beau-Beau" or "Bowie" mostly. (Note: I wanted to name him Bowie but my mom said having a Georgie and a Bowie would be weird. Guess I showed her!)

Then again, technically Georgie's name is Georgia and we never call her that either, so both my kids will probably have an identity crisis,

Pedal to the metal

I dusted the cobwebs off my bike a few weeks ago, and have really enjoyed going on rides. Granted I can only go during naptime so it's like 100 degrees out, but it doesn't bother me. I even bought one of those bike trailers for the kids to sit behind me. I would take it to the lake and ride around, but not sure the bike plus the trailer would fit - certainly not in my car, but not even in my mom's car. (Freaking car seats: no more putting the seats down to fit larger items! Still - will be fun to get everyone out on the bike. Cue bike bell "ding ding!"

Hey whatever works

We are working on a sticker/star chart to help Georgie behave. She has to get 10 stars a week and then gets to go to the zoo. We have 9 so far, so looks like we are zoo bound...

And no, I am not above bribery.

All set. And then not so much.

I have already purchased Halloween costumes for the family. In mid-July. So feeling pretty on top of the game (and anal retentive). And then learn today that the kids' school/daycare will be closed for the entire year. Like fall 2021. Like 14 more months of this.

Annnnnd time to start drinking.

The strong silent type?

Beau is doing great physically: crawling, clapping, pulling up to stand, even almost cruising. But he really doesn't talk at all. Not even baby babble. For a while he was saying mam, which I of course took as "mama," but not anymore. It's really just a lot of fart noises, tbh. Maybe he's more of a boy than I realized.

43

Another birthday, first time during a pandemic. Nothing too exciting although my sweet friends surprised me with an incredible balloon display on the front door. Georgie wanted to regift something we already owned, so that was funny to open...

Hellooooo mid-40s.

No pants, no problem

Picked a heckuva day to wear a dress to get a mammogram. Had to walk around like this in front of other patients. Sorry ladies...

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia

I have decided that Georgie's hair can best be described thusly:

It's a mixture of a shag and a mullet and it's fairly terrible. But perhaps it will grow...

Blocked!

I wasn't liking some of the YouTube videos Georgie was watching (even in the Preschool setting of YouTube), so I set up some restrictions. And bless her heart - she hasn't even noticed! Sweet pea. #somanyeducationalvideossolittletime

So close...

Georgies knows our names, more or less:
Gaga: "Susan Stockton"
Mama: "Sarah Stockton"
Georgie: "Georgie Stockton"
Beau: "son."

hahaha

More Georgie-isms

She calls zucchini "kini"
Zebras are "libras"
I love when she calls me her "tiny little mama"
She says "spaghetti" perfectly. Who does that??
We went to the dentist and the doctor last week. She called the dental hygienist "teacher" and then called the doctor "dentist" (#facepalm)

Mom shamed :(

Well, it finally happened - I got mom shamed. Although there are probably hundreds of things I have done in the past,  it took allowing my kid to attend gym class during a pandemic that finally did it. Now, I'm not saying it's a good idea. And I am actually going to pull her out for safety. But the class is only three kids, all adults and teachers wear face masks and stay apart (as much as you can), and they fully sanitize before and after. Still, of course I would feel TERRIBLE if my family caught COVID. So I guess shame on, people. Shame on.

Not today, Satan

I am just convinced I am going to get COVID and inadvertently pass it to my kids and/or my mom. Anyone else starting to take their temperature a lot? Or you cough and obsess over whether or not it was a wet or dry one? GAH

At least she SOUNDS cultured

Because she watches Peppa Pig incessantly, Georgie is starting to pick up some British phrases. It's pretty hilarious.

She says to-mah-to
"Market" instead of grocery store
When she wants me to fix something, she says "mend" - can you mend it, mama?
If she starts calling me "mummy" we are going to have to turn it off for a while.

We're gonna need the deluxe, please

I got my first mani/pedi/brow wax on Friday since the pandemic began. So almost 4 months ago. Apologies for the state of my feet. Probably good the nail technician was wearing a mask.

In case anyone was keeping track

This year alone I have had to buy:

New hot water heater
New dryer
New washing machine
New deck in backyard
Redo ceiling in playroom
And now - new bedding for my room because after Georgie peed on it for the 7th time, we decided it was too embarrassing to take it back to the lavanderia and would just use our new washer and dryer. Well, the washer was fine but somehow the dryer melted the comforter (?!). So had to get a new bedspread. And that meant new sheets. And pillows. And a dust ruffle.

And we wonder where my bonus check went...

7 months - check!

How is my baby boy 7 months old today? Past the halfway mark, full-steam ahead to one year! He loves standing up - trying to pull himself to stand but can't quite get there (although once standing and holding on to something he can hang on for a few wobbly seconds). While not crawling officially, he is crazy fast at army-crawling and might just bypass that altogether to start walking. (yikes)
He is not a great napper, but LOVES to eat - even grabs bowls and spoons on the table like "uh, let me just do this myself, slowpoke."
Not a lot of baby babble right now, aside from fart noises (!), but I think he's so focused on physical stuff right now that the verbal is taking a backseat. Or else he will be our very strong, handsome doofus who makes fart noises. And I will love him anyway.

Maybe they like warm hugs, too

Georgie-ism of the week:

She loves the emojis on my phone. Thinks they are so funny - especially the one barfing (?). But she has a Frozen book with tiny snowmen called "snowgies," and so she calls emojis "snowgies." It's fairly hilarious. At least, to me.

Nothing like dragging out a birthday celebration

My birthday is not until July 10, but somehow Georgie knows it's coming and wishes me a happy birthday every day. She sings and tells me I will be getting some sort of chocolate cake concoction with Oreos and "crummy" bears. And candles and maybe balloons. And my mom told me there's something she wants to give me as a gift, and since she is only 2 and we don't go anywhere, I'm guessing it's something that is around the house that she wants to wrap up. Might be the best birthday ever. Stay tuned.

S. Crew

J. Crew has apparently filed for bankruptcy, and my mom thinks I am single-handedly going to save the company with the amount of stuff I keep buying from them. You're welcome.

Venturing out

Well, we may end up with COVID, but we have slowly started easing back into society. We went to the zoo and the arboretum, I've gotten my hair and lashes done (still in dire need of a mani/pedi/brow wax though), and Georgie has gone back to her gym class - plus swim lessons start tonight. Everything is very spaced out - only three kids in the class - but it's all still a big guessing game. I am not great about wearing a mask when outside - it's so hot I feel like I'm suffocating - but am doing my best. Still have not gone to a restaurant - and man I'm missing frozen yogurt...

Blackout Tuesday

Loving scrolling through Instagram to see all black squares. Just bought some diversity books and a doll for Georgie so I can help educate and learn myself.  We stand in solidarity. Black lives matter.

Welp

Beau fell off my bed this morning. I had a pillow fort around him, and he plowed through it and toppled over. Didn't even cry, and he's fine - but jeez. Times like this I'm glad I still have ugly carpet everywhere and not hard wood floors...

White privilege

I forced myself to watch all 10 minutes of the George Floyd video. When he called for his mama, I almost burst into tears/threw up. What is WRONG with this country?!?! I cannot imagine what it's like to be an African American male right now (or probably ever in our horrid history), but all I can say is I am sorry, I am sick, and I will strive to do and be better, for me and for my children.

RIP sir.

Damn you, creators of Baby Shark

Yes, Georgie is still jamming to this song - it's been a year I swear (feels like 5). And why are there 1000 versions of the song - Monkey Bananas, Baby Car, Shark Bus, etc???

It's enough to drive a person insane.

So freaking busy

I am seriously working so much more than I ever have before. Yesterday I had 5 meetings and was working from 7am - 6pm. I am so far behind on social media that I haven't seen "you're all caught up!" on Instagram since I started working from home (the horror!). I am so jealous of the people who are baking, catching up on TV shows, etc.- I am lucky if I can blowdry my hair in the morning! And there's no end in sight...

be free!

We ended up with 13 butterflies from the 14 caterpillars - pretty good results, if I do say so myself. I got super into it and when we let them go this morning, one flew out of the cage and landed on my dress! I think he knew I was his mom. Fly, little butterflies, fly!!

Minus Brad Pitt of course

I've decided potty training is like Fight Club: you just don't talk about it. The less we mention it to Georgie, the more she goes on the potty. Weird, but whatever works at this point.

Everybody loves a parade

Georgie's little school had a last day drive-through parade yesterday. It was very cute - you drove around the parking lot, saw all the teachers, they blew bubbles and played music. And Georgie's teachers were so happy to see her I thought they were going to break the 6-foot rule and jump in the car (side note: will little kids not be able to run into their teachers' arms again?? wah!!!). Georgie bragged to one lady that she was pooping on the potty, and it just made me happy and very sad all at the same time. PLEASE let her be able to go back in the fall. Please?

Paging Baby Huey

(did not realize "baby huey" was a duck, but whatever)

Y'all. Beau will be 6 months old (!) on Sunday, and he is in a size 4 diaper. Georgie is almost two and a half and is in a size 5 diaper. You do the math. This baby is huuuuuuge. 

Mother's Day

Had a lovely mother's day with the fam. My mom got me charms with the babies' birthstones, and I bought her three pieces from Le Creuset - really a gift for both of us, but whatever! We had a picnic outside, I was able to finish the Beastie Boys Story on Apple TV, Georgie pooped on the potty (!), and we had pizza for dinner. I am one lucky mama.

And good news - Beau only has to wear the helmet for one more week! So 6 weeks total. Not too bad!

Holy Mole-y

Mother's Day post coming tomorrow - but first, a health bulletin: get your moles checked people! I found a new one on my shoulder and went to see a dermatologist on Friday. 50-50 chance it's basal cell carcinoma. After a brief panic attack that I would be orphaning my tiny children, I did some research and it seems like it's not that bad (and very common - both my parents have had spots removed that were basal cell). But still, hearing the "c word" is never fun. Should get the results sometime this week.

Excuse me while I go put on some more sunscreen.

Good luck kids

Georgie announced yesterday that she wants to be a teacher when she grows up, so she "can tell everyone what to do." Sounds about right. And a vast improvement from the day before, when she said she wanted to be a giraffe.

Too bad I'm not an hourly employee

...only because I am working 12-14 hour days and the overtime would be nice. Any other working parents out there find the only time to get work done is from like 9pm-midnight?

NO SLEEP TIL BROOKLYN

Remembering what was

Feeding Beau at 2am, I looked down at his sweet little face and started crying, thinking about the current situation in our world and wondering what his future would look like. I know a vaccine will come eventually, but the fastest they have ever created one is 4 years (mumps) - what if his first 5 years of life are like this? No Santa visits. No birthday parties. No trips to the zoo. No Gymboree. No movie theaters. (And yes, I realize people are getting back out there. But my 69-year-old mother lives with me - plus my two small kids - so I am not risking it.) And he's even younger than Georgie - she will actually be old enough to remember some of this, depending how long it lasts. I sincerely hope she can go back to school in the fall - for her sake and my sanity. Poor little munchkins. I guess I will just have to make their virtual childhood as fun as possible.

Slow clap

Aside from the brave doctors, nurses and medics on the frontline, may I offer up the true MVP of the Coronavirus: the 6 eyelashes (aka eyelash extensions) that have survived the past 7 weeks. Way to hang in there, guys! Of course, I look god-awful because of the 50 that have fallen out, but I applaud you last hangers-on for, well, hanging on.

Tool Time

I bought this inflatable rainbow sprinkler thing for Georgie (I mentioned that all I do is buy toys for the kids, right? HELP ME). Super cute but for the life of me I could NOT get the sprinkler to attach. My mom tried, Cole tried via Facetime, no dice. Bought a bunch of adapters and even a new hose; still not working. And then I bought another sprinkler thing (splash pad), which came with the same yellow plastic nozzle, but it was in two pieces. AH HA I can take the other one apart??? This is brand-new information, and now of course it works. A little heads up in the instructions would be great, thanks.

#nomannoproblem

Quarantine confessions

I may have a Twizzlers problem.

Potty Training is no joke

Holy shit. Emphasis on the shit. This is HARD. Took Friday off so we could devote all our attention to Georgie and her elimination system. The first day she actually didn't do too badly - about half the time she peed on the potty. No poop all day though. That came on day 2, when she pooped on the potty in the morning and I thought (stupidly) that we were done. Ohhhh no. The rest of the day she peed everywhere BUT the potty and pooped underneath the damn playhouse. Then day 3 was just as awful, culminating in a poop in the driveway. About to give up, we limped into day 4. And knock on wood but today she has been perfect - every pee in the potty and a poop too!

Now if you will excuse me I need to fumigate the whole house. Or maybe just burn it to the ground.

GOAT

Loving The Last Dance (Michael Jordan documentary)! Especially the great UNC footage and Barack Obama as "former Chicago resident."

Charles

My sweet dog Charlie passed away early this morning. I got her in 2012 from the shelter, and she has been a great, loyal dog for almost 8 years. She prepared me to be a mom, and for that I will be forever grateful. And although in the past few years she has gone from "the baby" to "the dog," I am happy that the last month or so of her life I was home with her all day every day. She would sit on my bed while I worked, and I know she loved that.

I will miss you, little dog.
xoxo

Madison Avenue may be empty, but all is not lost

I have to say, I have been impressed by how quickly advertisers have put out COVID-related commercials. Everything is "we're in this together," "though times are hard...," "contact-less delivery," etc. Way to roll with the punches.

Time flies, I guess

Not sure it's possible to wake up at 5 and still not be able to log on to work until 9.
one hour workout
feed baby
put baby down (twice)
feed toddler
get toddler dressed
let dog out
feed dog
start laundry
shower

...still doesn't add up!

Clearly not keeping up with the Kardashians

Having two kids has limited the amount of time I have to watch TV - which is not a bad thing, but I have like hours and hours of recorded shows piling up in the DVR. I try to watch the most important shows first - Bachelor, Real Housewives, Summer House, Shahs of Sunset...I am like three seasons behind on This is Us, and two seasons behind on Grey's Anatomy. I don't know why I think I will ever have like a weekend free to binge everything - maybe in 18 years??

Silver lining?

Trying to spend time outside when the weather allows, so maybe I'll have a nice quarantine tan? Quarantan?

Helmet head

So Beau got his helmet last week, but hasn't actually worn it since Friday because of a big red welt on the back of his head that won't go away. Apparently it's heat rash, and it takes a while to go away - doesn't bode well for having to wear it in the summer...poor little fair-skinned guy. Here's hoping the next 10-12 (now maybe 11-13 since we basically lost a week) go by fast...

oh, poop

This weekend we are starting potty training. Which means two full days (at best) of a naked toddler and countless amounts of poop and pee all over the house. Perhaps should stock up on alcohol beforehand...

Anyone else??

Every day is the same.

RIP little guy

I have eyelash extensions, and since there is no timeline on when I will be able to get them again, every time one falls out I give it a little funeral. Til we meet again, friend.

Coming to you live from my closet

I love seeing all the news reporters reporting in from their homes. Anyone else think where they would station themselves if they had to be on? Just me? My favorite is the lady in front of her baby's crib. I feel you. I do.

Not fair.

I learned that a dear friend has cancer, and needs surgery - but because it's early stage and in light of the current situation, it's considered an "elective" surgery and she has to wait. Until god knows when. And who knows what stage cancer it will be by then. How awful. :(

NOT a handyman. Not even a handywoman.

Tried to put a hexagonal jungle gym together this weekend- it did not go well. Needless to say after blood (okay, bruises), sweat and tears (literally burst out crying at one point), it is safely back in the box on it's way to being returned. Yes I may not have read the directions 100%, but there is no reason to make things so difficult. Especially when the box says "easy peezy" on the outside. Humph.

Won't You Be My Neighbor

Sooo my next-door neighbor got suuuuuper creepy yesterday and I might not ever be able to go in the front yard again. He is in a wheelchair after having a stroke like a year ago, so I will chalk it up to losing some of his brain function, but here are the lowlights:

•  he mentioned needing to beat up his wife
• his grandkids ran out of the house with an actual knife and he said he should hit them with a belt
• he loves my kids and wants them to call him Grandpa. Or Daddy. Or Daddy Mac. (his name is Mac)
• he said if I could ever not find Beau or Georgie, that he took them. And if I ever went missing I was locked up in his closet in thick chains. 
• he would take me out to feed me and sponge bathe me while our across-the-street neighbor watched
• NOTE: I REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE GONE INSIDE AT THIS POINT BUT WAS SO SHOCKED I JUST KIND OF STOOD THERE AND KEPT PUSHING GEORGIE ON THE SWING
• he wants to build a tunnel between our two houses
• he wants me to be a surrogate and have his baby

I don't even know what else. I finally came to my senses and yanked Georgie out of the swing and ran inside and took a cold shower. Just, ew, man.

Virus begone

Beau ended up with 103 degree fever yesterday and all night -poor little guy. Apparently he has RSV and a touch of Hand Foot Mouth. Lovely.

Slight scare

Woke up with a cough - worried was it dry?? wet?? - and Beau had a low fever. Feared the worst, but I think we are okay. Maybe that was it?? HA

May or may not be wearing the same clothes I slept in.

I was worried about the dry cleaners being closed - but then realized I'm only wearing yoga pants these days so who the F cares.

It's a wash, really

The amount of money I'm saving on gas/tolls/pedicures/daycare/LIFE is being spent on things to keep the kids entertained. Backyard jungle gym, I'm looking at you.

Lock it down

The lockdown has begun. Sure glad I got my hair and lashes done last week, because this is really so true it's scary:

Hi, dog years

So the past three days has felt like 3 years. Which means if this thing lasts as long as they are predicting, I will be like 160. Awesome

Schedule shmedule

Schools closed indefinitely, and the estimates are now July/August - basically no end in sight. So here we are. I tried to make a schedule for Georgie so she's not just sitting there watching Peppa Pig all day (she now says to-mah-to, so clearly already watching too much)...
8:30   ABC Mouse
9:00   Read books
9:20   Peppa Pig
10:00 Art or music
10:45 Blocks
11:00 Lunch
11:30 Nap

and then, in the afternoon: MOVIE. Yep, only one activity. God be with us all...

Homebound

Welp.Offices are closed until at least March 30th, so it's work from home for a while! Next week I am off for spring break, but now we won't be able to go anywhere and it will be raining and OMG why 2020.

Also - what in the world will ESPN be showing now? ESPN Classic?

Bye bye bonus

Remember my post about the termites? Well now there's a big puddle of water on the carpet leading into my room, and as much as I would like to say the dog (or my toddler) peed, it's clearly a plumbing leak. So that means in the past 6 months...

• water heater replaced
• new dryer
• crack in ceiling replaced
• new deck (once termite situation is resolved)
• now possibly new pipes

JUST KILL ME

WTF, Barb?!

Good grief Peter's mother is insane! I am of course talking about The Bachelor.  Because what else would I be talking about - Coronavirus??

I am raising a diva

This morning Georgie said "the floor is dirty! Gaga, you sweep it. You need a broom. Sweep now." Yikes.

Too bad there are no more face masks available

Beau, Georgie and my mom have all had a gross cough for like a month now. I assume it's not coronavirus, and unless I have like black mold in my house and it's poisoning everyone slowly, I will have to blame weither patient zero, my mom (cover your mouth when you cough, woman!!), or daycare. Sadly it's probably daycare. And we're stuck with it. Sorry kids. Enjoy the humidifiers.

I miss having a landlord

Being a homeowner is such a whoopin'. Need a new deck because mine is literally rotting and I'm scared Georgie will fall through one of the boards. They pulled up the whole thing only to discover I have termites in my wall. So now we sit with a big mud pit in the backyard, waiting to rip the wall apart and treat the little bastards. Annnnd there goes my tax refund. And probably most of my bonus.
Sigh...

I exercised! (my right to vote)

I don't know why, but when the machine gave me the little "your vote has been counted!" note, I may or may not have gotten a lump in my throat. So cool that we get to do this, even if it most likely makes no difference whatsoever. Still appreciate the opportunity.
GO VOTE!!!

Let it Go (not another Frozen post)

Having kids is the ultimate sacrifice - you kiss your old life goodbye, and probably will never see it again. Now, you do this for good reason and it's totally worth it, but it takes a minute to adjust and realize life is never going to be the same again.

Take working out. I am a big fan, always have been. I get in a bad mood if I don't work out every day. Used to do an hour, even an hour and a half sometimes - and now I am LUCKY to get 45 minutes in. And that usually entails a few 15 minute blocks interrupted by the baby spitting up or having to turn on Peppa Pig while on the elliptical instead of getting all caught up on my Bravo shows. (I know, enter tiny violin here)

Another thing that has changed: my Saturdays. I don't even know what I used to do before kids, but it probably involved watching basketball and day drinking. And now it looks like multiple child birthday parties, and probably next year adding a soccer game into the mix. So basically day drinking might still be a necessary part of the day.

Is the CDC hiring?

My job has become crafting daily Coronavirus updates. Most of our Asia offices are working from home, and people are panicking about travel and the new threat in Europe...

#pleaseletmeworkfromhome
#forever

Sounds from the backseat

Yesterday, driving Georgie to school: "mama, I got a booger! It's really, really green."

Annnnnd scene.

Spring Break - woohoo!

Ah, spring break. A time of debauchery and drunkenness, of tequila and tan lines. Unless you're a parent of babies. I am taking the week of Georgie's spring break off, and briefly considered a trip to Florida. But the logistics and fear of undertow and skin cancer convinced me otherwise, so I'm afraid our spring break week looks like this:

• Zoo
• Crayola Experience
• Peppa Pig Experience
• Camp Stores
• Arboretum 
• Me needing a vacation after this vacation

Maybe I'll buy a Carlos and Charlie's t-shirt just to feel like I could be fun again, someday. But I will probably buy a onesie because it's funnier for the baby to wear it.

Channeling Dark Helmet

So little Beau has a flat spot on one side of his head. He prefers one side to the other, so for the past month I've been trying to get him to use the other side to balance things out. We have another month before we go back to the doctor, but I'm assuming he will say the dreaded words: He needs a helmet.

Now, I get that you don't want to have a misshapen head. And it's probably tougher for boys because someday they could be bald and really look like a weirdo. But I'm really wavering on whether or not we should move forward (assuming we have to). 

• His would probably have to be worn all summer, when it's brutally hot in Texas. I can't even imagine how sweaty/stinky/uncomfortable that would be.
• He has to wear it for 23 hours a day, and only take it off to get a bath and clean the helmet with rubbing alcohol (?!).
• I have been reading about babies getting rashes and scabs from the helmets, which just sounds awful.
•  There are bi-weekly, sometimes weekly, appointments to get the helmet shaved down as his head grows. 
• Did I mention it's typically not covered by insurance and can cost up to $4000?

On the plus side, you can get it to look like this:

BB8!! I mean maybe.

whatever

Whenever I sigh or curse (which I'm trying to get better about) or honk my horn, etc., Georgie asks "what the MATTER, mama?" When she wanders into the room, she asks "what you DOING, mama?" And now when I talk for like 10 minutes to her about something, she says "what you TALKING about, mama?" So clearly she wasn't listening. A preview of what's to come, I'm sure.

Side bar: yesterday on the way to school she wanted to get out of her car seat. I told her it was against the law (?) and we could go to jail. She then wanted me to talk for the next 30 minutes about jail. (Literally kept saying "more?" "more?") I ran out of things that I knew about jail in about 3 minutes. Which I guess is a good thing. Until she asked again that night and I said, "who goes to jail, Georgie?" Hoping she would say "bad guys." She said "Georgie."

Let's hope THAT's not a preview of what's to come...

Just because

Why does it always have to be the car

Georgie has had three major barfs in her young life, and all of them have taken place in the car. Once in my mom's and twice in mine. And it's pretty terrible.

1. She starts crying and choking and I have to find someplace to safely pull over so I can get out and clean her up/comfort her.
2. Yesterday she was looking at my phone at the time, so she barfed on my phone as well.
3. The car seat is a beat down to get in and out on a good day, so add in that it's covered in puke and stinks to high heaven...it's also a total beat down to clean. I had to bust out the Q-tips yesterday.
4. The car stinks for quite some time afterwards as well. And it's a little cold to drive with the windows down.

She did also puke on me and then all over the bathroom yesterday - but then was fine. I'm proud that my own gag reflex seems to be under control, as I normally probably would have thrown up too. So all in all, yay parenthood!

When push comes to shove

So Georgie is still pushing her classmates. And her teachers can't send her to time out anymore because it's basically a chair by the window, and she likes it. So last week she got sent to the "principal's office"  - which still didn't phase her. I scheduled my first parent-teacher conference yesterday, and her teachers were so kind and basically talked me off the ledge because I was convinced I was raising a sociopath who was going to get kicked out of mother's day out. Turns out she's "just two" - but next year could be a different story. Bless the teachers next year...

Oh, my aching back

Bought one of these recently:

Thought it would be a great way to tote Georgie around instead of the stroller, since she always wants to get out and I have to unbuckle her, pick her up and then buckle her back in. Figured the zoo would be the perfect time to test it out. (After seeing me attempt to get it on, my mom insisted on coming along.)

Turns out either I am not as in shape as I thought I was (duh) or I'm getting old (also duh) - because after about 10 minutes I wanted to die. Now Georgie weighs around 30 pounds, but that's less than I gained with Beau and I didn't have that much trouble...I made it about an hour before we decided to call it. The shooting pain in my shoulders and the numbness in my arms was slightly concerning. Somehow I am not as sore as I thought I would be, but not sure when I will have the guts to use that thing again...maybe for short walks around the backyard?

 

Stockton, party of three

So I honestly wasn't sure about having baby #2 - no way would I be able to love him as much as I love Georgie. (Plus no way can I afford it, but that's neither here nor there) But MAN this baby boy. So obsessed with him! My mom described it best: he is my heart and she is my soul. 

But the struggle - and the mom guilt - is real. Georgie is very demanding and physical and vocal, so she gets my attention. And then poor little meatball just hangs out, grinning when someone finally notices him over there. I have to hope this is semi normal and people wouldn't keep having kids if it didn't end up okay, but sheesh. Poor little butterball. I may just have him sleep in my room until he's 5. Yay guilt!

Miss Bachelor 2020

Is it just me, or is the new requirement that in order to get on the Bachelor you have to have competed in a major beauty pageant? There are like three girls from Miss USA and another who competed in Miss Teen USA...gag. (No offense to the pageant world)

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?

I really only watch the Oscars (aka the red carpet special) to see what everyone is wearing. I rarely see the movies that are nominated (especially not now with two little kids), so it just kind of goes over my head. But I happened to catch the Eminem performance last night, along with the Idina Menzel/global Elsas - so awesome! Made me dust off my Eminem music and have a little session in the car this morning. So angry. So great.

(And I DO want to see Parasite...)

Blood on my hands. Literally.

So. This is not paint on little Beau's onesie. No, it is blood. HIS blood. From his thumb. Where I attempted to cut his tiny fingernail.

A. Who knew a thumb could bleed so much
B. Never again, friends. He can just look like this for all I care.

Chatty Kathy

Georgie talks a mile a minute. Still can't understand some of the stuff she says, but man she's funny. Some recent quotes:

"I sorry - it my fault" (probably what she says the most)
"I be 2." (truth)
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 17, 14!" (Counting to 20. And she loves clocks - thinks it's always 8:00, bedtime. Although her bedtime is usually around 7)
"Youtune?" "How's about Peppa Pig?" "How's about Daniel Tiger?" "How's about Fwozen?"
"I need a apple for my mouth." (when she's hungry)
"2 crummy bears?" "Baby oreos?" (no, she doesn't eat very well)
"You came back!" (every day when I come home from work)
"I fine. I sorry." (after she falls down for the 1000th time)


And then last night "I miss you so much mama." MY HEART

She's just Jenny from the block

Call me crazy, but I wasn't offended by the halftime show - I found it entertaining, even empowering. And frankly inspiring. To look like that at 50?! Yes please.

Membership has its privileges

My brother and my nephew were in town this weekend, so we took the kids to the Perot Museum (Beau stayed home with my mom). We got there at 9, since that's when Google said they opened, but apparently they only open at 9 for members. The peons have to wait another hour. Which I wasn't about to do with two toddlers. So I sucked it up and joined. However, the computer crashed twice while trying to set me up and they finally gave up and gave us free parking and let us in early. I still might join, but certainly enjoyed the perks without the price...

Of course poor Georgie just wants to go to the damn zoo and kept asking where the elephants and giraffes were. (We ARE members of the zoo, thank god)

Boooooo(bs)

Had a close call with mastitis yesterday - at the very least one of my milk ducts was terribly clogged. INSANE amount of pain. But today it feels much better. I read a lot of advice online, including alternating heat/cold and massage, but the one I couldn't bring myself to do was put the baby on the ground and "dangle " my boob into his mouth to feed him. (apparently the gravity is supposed to help) As if I didn't already feel enough like a cow...

Welp

Apparently this is the last day of PlayStation Vue, so we will now be moving on to YouTube TV and Philo. My poor mom just figured out how to use Vue so we have to start all over. She misses the days of getting up and changing the channel, I think. And then there's Georgie, who at 2 requests "YouTune" on the daily. (That's her source of Peppa Pig and Daniel Tiger, obvi)

You know you're a parent when

You show up to work with a dried booger on your shirt and really no idea who it belonged to.

Back to the grind

Those 10 weeks went fast...I bawled all day Sunday but luckily yesterday went by really fast and I didn't even have time to miss the kiddos. My mom took Beau to his first day of daycare and they loved him. He's a little round smiley meatball, so what's not to love? (Seriously - at his 2 month appointment he weighed 14.5 pounds, putting him 93% for weight and only 50% for height. Oof)
He is only going to go once a week for a while since he's so "little" (aka young), and in the fall will go to the same place as Georgie. We also found a nice lady to come three times a week for a few hours in the afternoon to help wrangle so my mom can fix dinner and have a break (aka wine). Two kids is no joke - help is needed and appreciated - but we are making it work. G is a little aggressive towards the baby at times, but I think part of that is just "being 2." Hopefully not "being a sociopath."

Will try to get back into the blogging habit - lots of content these days!!

Do you want to build a snowman?

This has been the maternity leave sponsored by Frozen. We literally watch it every day.

Some takeaways:

• it has taught Georgie big words like "coronation"
• it has taught Georgie not so nice things, like calling people "monster!" and saying "don't touch me" (EYEROLL EMOJI)
• we now own about 18 olafs and a variety of other Frozen crap
• thanks to Spotify, we play the songs from the movie every time we are in the car (bonus: obsessed with Lost in the Woods from the second movie...see below)
• Georgie went to her first movie in the theater - Frozen 2 - and we waited so long to see it that we were the only people in there. Which allowed G to run rampant around the place, and now I fear she will think that's how movies always are (FACE PALM EMOJI)
• Still, am able to sit through the movie every night and not want to poke my eyes out. Kudos Disney peeps.